Prince William and Princess Kate recently made an important decision regarding their eldest son – and royal experts have been quick to praise the couple’s approach
The Prince and Princess of Wales have been praised after making a major decision regarding their eldest son Prince George.
William and Kate have endeavoured to give all three of their children as normal an upbringing as possible, but with an understanding and respect for their future roles. And for George, that means preparing for life as the future king.
As such, he took on an important role as the Royal Family celebrated the 80th anniversary of VE Day. After joining Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis for the military parade and RAF flypast with their parents, George made a surprise appearance alongside his parents at a tea party for veterans in Buckingham Palace’s Marble Hall. The special reception, hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla, was held for around 50 veterans and people who lived through the Second World War.
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During the tea party, George spoke to Alfred, 101, who served during D-Day. Following a brief chat, Alfred then turned to George and said: “You know, it’s very important you are here today. It’s days like this that we should use to talk about things like this, so the younger generation can have some understanding.”
Speaking to HELLO!, Robert Jobson, author of Catherine: The Princess of Wales, said of George’s surprise appearance: “This is probably the last big event where there will be veterans who served in the Second World War, so it will stick in his memory that he met people who fought, and give him a connection to them.
“Of course, he played a major part in the coronation, so he has done big events, but the fact that he was meeting and conversing with these veterans, I thought that was a really good move by William and Kate.”
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Robert continued: “They are preparing him for public life. Kids can find it difficult to meet people, shake their hands and look them in the eye, but he does it very well. I think what they’re trying to achieve is that he’s relaxed in that sort of situation, and I thought it was very successful.
“I think they’re trying to be careful not to overwhelm him, because he’s at a delicate age, but it’s very important, given that the late Queen is no longer here, to have that continuity going forward.”
It echoes recent comments made about the young Prince by former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond. She told the Mirror: “I love seeing him at football matches when he can let his hair down.
“But at big events like this, he looks as if he is taking it all in, and understanding that his life will be punctuated by national occasions where his will be a key role. And I’m sure his parents have schooled him in how to behave and what it all means. I think they had prepared him to sit down with some of the veterans, and he looked genuinely interested and concerned to hear their stories of the war.”
Jennie continued: “The VE Day commemorations may be the only opportunity George will ever have of speaking to men and women who served their King and country during the war.
“One day he will be Chief of the Armed Forces himself, and he may well look back at some of those conversations and be glad that he had the chance to meet some of the few remaining veterans.
“It was noticeable that William sometimes put George first and foremost, letting him sit with veterans while he hovered behind. That was a clever and reassuring way for William to mentor his son.”
